New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-28
COLLAPSE OF THE STRIKE.
READING EMPLOYEES RETURN TO WORK.
AN UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER TO THE COMPANY
THE DISCHARGED ENGINE CREWS NOT TO BE
REINSTATED-MANY BROTHERHOOD MEN
SECURE EMPLOYMENT on
IHE KNIGHTS OF LABOR
ORGANIZATION.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. ]

1HE KNIGHTS OF LABOR
ORGANIZATION.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE
PHILADELPHIA. Dec 27.-Thc Reading Railroad
employees strike is eff, and the men returned
TO work this morning. At half-past l o'clock
this afternoon General Manager Mcleod of the
Reading, issued the following statement:
The report that the Reading Company had agreed to
arbitrate with ITS striking employees IS absolutely false
There Is nothing 10 discuss much less to arbltraie
back The men employed when tho old ones
went out will not bc discharged TO make room lor old
desire to retain their places they must return to
work Immediately and Internationally, and all have
for them Besides. the leaders at Port Richmond
that brought on the strike have been discharged and
viii not be allowed again in the eompany'o service
This action, it is thought, will compel the
Knights Of Labor to back down or renew the
strike. At the various depots of the company
work was being done as usual to-day. The men
have not all returned as yet but this is due only
TO the delays incident to the rcaSscmbling of so
large a force OF men. The chief dispatcher Of the
freight trains said this afternoon:
We do not anticipate any more trouble at all.
The men were here long before the regular hours,
and some even came on the run so as not to miss
any time. If they had not come we had sufficient
applications for positions to run regular time all
the freight trains and shifters in the yard There
were some few who did not show up but of course
their places were filled Immediately
At the companys Office the action OF the knights
Of Labor is looked upon rs a complete backdown.
An unofficial report gained crcdcnce this evening
from the knights Of Labor headquarters, IN North
Broad-st that the order will not ask for the rein
statement of the discharged men Members of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers here show
considerable satisfaction at the speedy termination
of strike n official q this order sad to-
day:
The knights are knocked out, and the Brother
hood had hand in doing It, We were pledged to
stand by the company, and we had a man ready
for every engine, and wc were ready at any moment
TO take charge of every engine on the entire sy9-
ten. The knights underestimate our strcgth
They give us credit for membership OF n little
over half hundred members, whereas on the
Reading ), stem We have membership OF over 200,
enough to keep the engines moving, and We would
have worked in spite OF all Obstacles
ON 1hlrl-st. Reading stock took upward
shoot and at the closing hour was quoted at 66
and lrcton.
NoTE or DEFIANCE TO THE KNIGHTS.
The following order issued Just at the hour
for closing the Office to-day:
I'M THil.piL1u, ANp t.LADiSG HuIpAD COZ
GL>rt,L Orricr. ~ oorrn FouHrI-L
inILADLIrhIA. Dee - ls,E)
A. 4. MCLEOD. Ccnc,ai Manogcr.
uEAn sIE. lhc strhc oulcicd from Port Richmond
ha, Nclocd he tact thai many ot our old and Iah
iut cmlIoycs have been compelled hN others 10 JOIN
tic oilanllai ou known the knights OF LABOR
While 10, lcaIins hailroad tompany Las never oh
scltc, with any ialOr organization hey may 'c' III To
JOIN % wil protect thcm at all hazard, and al any
cost f,om hclus forced into any union where Their
own wish would De- to remain fec, aud any 'mpoye
oi ih., company or ui the toa and Iton company
any of our men to force them to Join any society
sean, thelg liee VIII. viii upon proof FURNISHED Us
allowed To- return To II and any ,mpoyc furnishing
such Information viii hc fully protected hom any
the General SUPER ncndcut with orders that Il Lc re
Ieatcd 10 the head, of every department of the rail
road and Coal and Iron COMPANY. Very r,p"ciiuliy
AtsliN CoEhIN, President
6 6. d p1 ctSnnrr 3 SaH, Receiver.
l. 4 owtrc ,nn. 1eaerai superintendent
DEAR SIX. Please furnish all heads 81 dcparmr
win COPY Of this notice and see that II Is iuly Tar
Ticd out
4. \. Mellon. General Manager.
There was lack Of >pontancity IN the return to
work Of the employees at the wharNcS of Port
Richmond this morning. Ihi, va, not due 10 an
unwilngnc,s ON the part of the men, bat delay
in the circulation of the general order To- return.
coupled with the fact that th" diSaicct"d W'rr
rather lat" IN appearing at thcir uNn'' POINTS 81
rendezvous. However. sufficient m'n r'Npoldrd
AT an early hour 10 handle what lttlc coal there
was on tie tracks and more, too, for many had
10 hc put 10 work at odd jobs until >'a.c OF the
sidc-tHcltcd fuel cam" down the road
No>.rNIoN ME\ ,IHnEN IL m rR SIDE
Snpcrinicndcnt j o. kcim was at his post Of
duty al an carly hour lie received the men pleas
antly rs they appeared. As general rule the
mcr would express satisfaction AT the happy pros
pcct Of an amlcablc adjustment. few, how
ever after reaching the wharves and finding that
the non-union men who had been cmpl"ycd IN
their absence w.r. at work. turned about and
walked oil. one of the first men To greet SUPER
intcndcnt kclm this morning was councilman
k,lly tl
of the Employees ConNcntlon who occupies tht
position Of foreman of Pier No. - lie reported
early in order 10 explain 10 ms men the exact
condition of affairs, rs he fcarrd thI' IN the pres
cncc Of the non-union men there W"nld H., hes
uancy on their part to resume work iic wns
IN obcyng the order ol assumptions - th'y were
that of quitting work
IIIs rrcs,nc. was needed, for late in the morning
AN incl I.nt occurred which came near causing an
Ihtsc IT work TO leave the wharvcs DnrIng the
night two crIlcrs, rhc PulSviilc and Raitlcsnake'
scomr up 30 er to I dr ana Yer Frnn, c's~S "cmSy Tc
KNIGHTS of Labor, were in total ignorance al the
sItuati N surrcundi = them. Wien they arose
this morning and learned the cause of the ldcneSS
in the scenes that wont to he so BUSY, all
hands fourteen in nun hcr refused To- o'cy orders
and promptly dschargcd ms 'nciden,
WIS miSinicrprrted by the knights at work ana
considerable explanation was rgIIrrd Az II"
srraightcn matters out. I'm the meantime the diS,
charged crews will remain idle and be supported
by the employees
Superintendent Swcieard said this morning that
the statement that he had agreed with the
Knights Of Labor TO submit questions in dispute
10 al bitraticn Was incorrect lie said that last
evening a committee representing employees OF thc
.ompa,y ga led ~ his and talked with them
brIcny reg riding the threatened strike. lie held
Dut no iniucencnts TO the men, however, ana
would listen TO no proposition which had iOr IT'S
object the reinstatement OF the men VINO ma oceh
discharged for refusing TO deliver ears to layl9rS
elevator These men, he said, have been dis
Charged and will never again he employed by the
lie says no agree mcnt was proposcd
either by the committee or by hlm and that 'he
committee left his Office when he informed them
That he would hold no conversation regarding the
discharged men.
A reporter asked Mr. Swcigard whether he pro
poscd 10 take up the Port Richmond dliilculty
and submit any questions involved therein TO ar
bit ration to which he tersely replied
There is nothing to submit There Is one thlhG
in connection with this subject that may as wei
he disposed Of while We are on IT. Inc employees
or some Of them, have accused the company OF
~ ha ufrpfp n